4 Year Old Having a Tonsillectomy?

My son had his tonsills and adnoids out two months shy of turning 3. He was having sleep apnea problems and snoring as loud as my husband. I wish we could have waited a year just because it is hard to get pain meds in a boy that is so young and you can't reason with very well. But I think that at 4 you will be able to reason with him. I wouldn't worry about his weight too much, he actually start gaining weight after the recovery because his body doesn't have to work so hard to breath at night. I would reccommend staying overnight at the hospital if it is an option. We did and it was great for his pain management that day.

They gave us penicillin and tylenol with codine for pain meds. Don't let them give you penicillin as an antibiotic. It is horrible tasting and is what pushed my son over the edge with not wanting to take his meds. We tried to disguise it in everything we could think of but it didn't work. Because of this he wouldn't take the tylenol with codine. It was a rough two week recovery, but it was worth it in the end. I love going in to check on him at night now and not wonder whether or not he will stop breathing in the middle of the night.

I've heard that putting nasty tasting medicine on a spoon with chocolate syrup is a good way to get kids to take it. Of course I heard this after we were done with the meds. Good luck.

I had my tonsils out when I was three for the same reasons. Perhaps your little guy is a picky eater because he can't breathe when he eats? My mom has told me about how I used to scarf my food like I was starving and then spit it out to breathe.

Hello

When my daughter was 7 she had her tonsills and adenoids removed because she had sleepapnia, lack of focus in school, irritable, etc. I recognized this issue when she was younger, but the doctors where I lived did not take me seriously. Having it done sooner would have saved us a lot of grief every morning and any other time that our little Katie was reacting to sleep deprivation. Thou a little older than yours, our daughter came through wonderfully. The recovery was so fast and full of fun things like shakes, jello, fruit smoothies. I involved my daughter in the process in making slurpy food fun. I was also prepared for guests and activities to make the experience afterward more pleasant. I will tell you that immediately after the surgery our daughter was real grumpy and irritable. Be ready to provide positive support.
We went in strong with her as to not worry her and maintained that this would have a positive outcome. Though our children are young they respond to our emotions, body language, and finally our words (if consistent with everything else). If you believe in your doctor and know in your heart that it is the best thing for your daughter, so that she may have a healthier life, then I'm sure that your family will make the right decision for her.

Sincerely,

C.

I may be wrong here but it is my understanding that the tonsils are for infection filtration. Taking them out if your son is not getting multiple ear infections and especially repeated strep throat is not advised. The symptoms you explain come more from adenoids. My son had snoring and breathing problems as well as multiple ear infections. We had his adenoids out and put tubes in his ears, and the sleep problems (including frequent night terrors from sleep apnea) were gone. He was 2.5 at the time of his surgery. And he was outside playing basketball the afternoon after his surgery. My daughter had tubes and adenoid surgery for a non-draining ear, and she was back to school the next day. She was 4 also when the surgery took place.

I guess what I am saying is that I would talk again to your doctor and discuss why he wants to take out the tonsils and not the adenoids. Whatever you decide together, the surgery will be fine.

Hello L.,

My daughter had the same snoring & breathing problems. She had her tosills and adenoids taken out when she was 4 years old. Like you, we were very concerned at such a young age. Everything turned out fine, the nurses were wonderful before the surgery, she had a Disney childrens gown and they let her pick the sleeping mask color, (pink or blue) giving her one to play/practice get comtforable with ahead of time. They made it seem like a fun adventure for her.
The only problem she had after surgery was it hurt to swallow, so she did a lot of drooling for a day or so.
Don't worry, everything will turn out fine.
My daughter is 13 now. Enjoy each day, the good and overwhelming ones, they go from 4 to 13 in a flash.

Liz

My daughter was almost 4 when she had her adnoids removed, they were very enlarged and causing the same symptoms as you said. It was very quick. We went in the morning and came home later that day. She had no problems with pain or weight loss. The first and second day we were told to keep her on Motrin and a liquid diet. By the third day she had no pain and was starting to eat solids again. We had a lot of popsicles, jello, and chicken broth on hand. We were told to put a towel on her pillow before she took a nap or slept, just in case she bled a little bit, but that never happened. It is a very quick in and out procedure, something very common, so try not to worry too much. She is now 11 and since having the surgery all of her symptoms had gone away and stayed away.

L., All 3 of my children had a tonsillectomy along with the adnoids removed and one had tubes put into his ears also. They were all about 2 years old and did just fine. It was a bit scary each time giving my baby over to a surgeon, but I trusted them to God and they did great!

My daughter had this procedure done at Oakland Childrens Hospital when she was 5 years old. I was worried also, but everyone was really great & she was ok. They basically gave her some meds to make her sleepy & she never felt a thing. I was able to take her home the same day. I just loaded her up with popsicles & she watched alot of tv resting for a few days. We made a photo album of the experience & even sent her flowers at home with lots of cards from friends. This made her feel special. She was out of school for two weeks though.

A.

I had mine out at 8 years old and I wish they had done it sooner. I remember being sick all the time before and after almost not at all.
My memories of the actual proceedure also aren't bad except they kept me home from school for what seemed like a life time and I fell behind and never really caught up again. So if you don't have to put it off, that would probably be good.
Otherwise, the jello and ice cream was a real treat. I say listen to the doctors and consider that this may change your sons health quite a bit for the better.

Hi L.

It sounds horrible having surgery for such a youngster but in the long run, it will make a huge difference. My 2 year old had the surgery in July and he’s been a different child since – a good thing. He was tiny, maybe 26 pounds at the time and didn’t eat because his throat hurt. He would gag if food got caught in his throat. We supplemented the only thing he would take regularly – milk with Pediasure just to get extra calories in him. As a baby, he constantly had ear infections and finally had tubes put in. The ENT said he’s never seen tonsils as large as my son’s: removed them and infected adenoids and resized tubes in his ears.

Every child recovers from anesthesia differently. Be prepared as it was not what we were expecting. It was an outpatient procedure and took just over an hour and recovery about two hours. We ended up using a cold water humidifier in his room for about a week after the surgery to help keep his mouth from drying out as he was an open mouth sleeper. Something we weren’t aware – his breath smelled horrible! The scarring on the back of the throat was white expect to see that while he’s healing. Within two weeks our son was back to himself.

Best of luck!

L.,
Our middle child had hers out at that age because of chronic strep throat, and sleep apnea from them. She spent 2=3 days on the couch with a sore throat, and all was fine after that. Just buy lots of jello, pudding and ice cream, and applesauce, you know the soft cool stuff to eat. Best thing we ever did for her, we were having to roll her over in the night time because she would stop breathing. When we got home from the surgery she looked at me and said They tricked me!!!! they told her to blow up a balloon and as she did it put her out. She was so cute, and so much better aftewards.
W.

Hi L.,
I didn't know that that was a common procedure. My 2 year old little boy just got his check up, and I asked him why he always sticks out his tounge. He said it was due to large tonsills. Did or do you children stick out there tounges alot. I am very interested in what you find out. Pleas keep me posted.
Thanks
K.

Our doctor reccommended that our 7 year old son have his tonsils out because of snoring etc... We have decided to have sleep study first. While a tonsilectomy is considered a simple surgery, anytime general anesthesia is used there is a small risk of serious side effects. We want to be sure that the surgery is warrented since he has never had strep throat before we follow through. I had my tonsils out as an adult and it was a horrible recovery (I Undersatnd kids do much better) and it did fix the recurring tonsilitis problem but did not solve sleep issues.

When I was a kid (1960's), it was kinda standard to remove tonsils early like is being suggested to you. Sometimes the adeniods too. My sisters and I all had our tonsils removed early. We all had ear problems.
I was 4, but I still remember because at the hospital I was in a huge hospital crib, and I was in a real bed at home. My throat hurt but they gave me TONS of ice cream. It is NOT a bad memory.
Especially for chronic ear problems, and sinus, etc. I say go for it! Your child's appetite may improve, and he will definitely sleep better. And remember -today's anethesias are much better than when we were kids.

Have you looked into the causes of the enlarged tonsils? I would consult a functional nutritionist before having the surgery. Doctors will tell you food has nothing to do with it but, take it from me, food has everything to do with health problems. My story is long but doctors just don't know everything there is to know about how different foods affect different people.
You want to check into food allergies and intolerances, especially dairy. Do some research on the internet. Keep reading! Take care.

My Daughter had her tonsilles and adnoids out at 5. She was sick all the time and had trouble breathing. It is pretty routine and everything went just fine. She was pain free in like 2 days. She sleeps so much better and is rested because she gets oxygen at night. Best wishes.
Stac

I am always reluctant to have any organ removed unless there are no other options. When I was a kid Kaiser wanted to remove my tonsils and adenoids because the fluid in my ears wouldn't drain which caused me to be deaf. We got a second opinion and the doctor prescribed Dimetap for 2 weeks instead. My ears cleared up and I had no more problems after.

If it were my little one, I would be looking at why the tonsils are large and is there something that can be done to bring them back health. I would not only get a second opinion, but look into alternative solutions as well, ei: nutrition, homeopathy, etc...

My son had his tonsillectomy and his adnoids removed when he was 2 1/2. He was pretty low in weight. He snored and would stop breathing then gasp for breath while sleeping. The surgery helped. The most important thing to watch for is dehydration after the surgery. My son refused to drink afterward and was very close to being hospitalized for an IV.
Good Luck

Hi, my daughter had tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy before she turned 4 yrs old. She was a good eater and and her weight was good that the doctor decided to do her surgery. My son, on the other hand, he is 3 yrs old and needs the surgery as well, but because he is only 32 lbs. The doctor wants us to wait until he gains some more weight. Go to your son's first appointment and listen to what the doctor would recommend. The doctor will not force the surgery unless he sees choking hazard with your child due to the smalll opening in his throat that this causes. With my daughter, the surgery took only 30 mins (the longest 30 mins for us). Right after the surgery, she was already on her bike and when the pain meds wore off, she stayed in bed for a little bit and took a nap. She only ate ice cream and other soft foods after that. Since they had to sedate her, her weight is one factor that they looked at. She did fine and the snoring is gone and I was able to sleep soundly since i don't have to watch her sleep now and worry about her breathing. With my son, we have to wait and see since he is a very picky eater. Good luck and let me know what you guys decide on doing.

Hi L.

Just a quick response to tell you that the surgery is a great option if your son has those symptoms. My 3 year old son just has his tonsils and adnoids out on Oct. 3 and has been great ever since. He had the same symptoms you describe your son having. Now, don't get me wrong, the 10 or so days after the surgery wasn't fun. My son lost 2 pounds, was in some considerable pain (but the medicine was a quick relief) and was not wanting to eat anything except popscicles and ice cream. If you're worried about the weight loss, I would suggest (if you go through with the surgery) high calorie popscicles and ice cream.
I don't know if this is a possiblity, but perhaps your sons pickiness to food has to do with having large, obtrusive tonsils. Also, the younger they are, the easier it is to recover. Older people have a rougher time getting through it. I had mine out at 27 years old...not good!

If you're prepared for about 2 weeks of little sleep and having your son go through the pain, it's worth it. The time does go by fast, and like I said, my son is great now.
Good luck with your decision. It sounds like you have a wonderful support system with your husband, as did I. That will help tremendously.

If your dr. is saying it should be done, then I wouldn't wait. The older they get the more difficult the recovery. My daughter was 5 when we did it. The recovery is about a week. The first two days there is a lot of lying around. Day 3 & 4 are a bit more painful, but then she got better everyday after that. I stocked up on movies she had never seen before. She ate a lot of applesauce, pediapops, pedia chocolate milk, oatmeal... anything mushy.

Your son's size and food pickiness shouldn't be a factor. Just keep him hydrated and make it fun with frozen yogurt and ice cream too. We have a slushy machine, so I made the ultra-fine ice and mixed it with juice. She loved it!

My husband has sleep apnea... snoring, gasping for air, etc. He should have had his tonsils out when he was young but had it done as an adult. The recovery was hideous.

The only thing I'd warn you about is when he comes out of anesthesia he'll be a little disoriented. I guess their eyes can see before their brains tell them what they are seeing and it is a little frightening. My daughter was screaming and thrashing around and calling for me. Then she'd look up and see that I was holding her and calm down for a minute or two and then start screaming again. That went on for about 20 minutes. It doesn't happen to every patient, but just be ready... it was a little frightening for me. In hindsight I would have worn comfortable pants and shoes that I could kick off quickly because I crawled into her bed with her.

Also, ask if he should have his adenoids out too. If they are going to be in there it should happen all at once. You wouldn't want to have to go back and have that done later.

Best of luck. Hang in there. It really is a very common procedure. It's not the most comfortable thing, but it's worth it.

L. - Don't worry this is very common. My son had his out at 3. The doctor tried a lot of other things before surgery (allergy meds, etc.) but once he had it he was a new kid. No more snoring, almost choking and not breathing at night. When my daughter was 3 she had them out as well only this time she didn't have to go through all the other stuff because my son had already tried all that. They both did fine and rebounded very quickly. It's a short surgery and the kids come home the same day. Just have lots of popsicles on hand. It was really worth it for us. Good luck with your decision.